Student Achievement is Enhanced through Teacher Beliefs and Expectations

Continuing with our discussion on John Hattie’s “Visible Learning” research, I would like to focus on what teachers can do to improve their students’ academic achievement and progress.

Teachers must believe that they can be positive change agents for the students that he/she come into contact every day at school. A teacher’s beliefs and commitments are the greatest influence on student achievement over which they have some control.

One of Hattie’s major claims is that the difference between high-effect and low-effect teachers are primarily related to the attitudes and expectations that teachers have when they decide on the key issues of teaching - what to teach, at what levels of difficulty, and their understanding of student progress and of the effects of their teaching.

The first set of attributes for effective teachers relate to the teacher's passion and inspiration. That is to say, passionate and inspired teachers recognize that:

There is variation among teachers in their impact on student learning and achievement;

All (school leaders, teachers, parents, students) place high value on having major positive effects on all students;

All are vigilant about building expertise to create positive effects on achievement for all students;

The school has a rigorous professional develop program to help teachers enhance a deeper understanding of their subject(s);

The school provide professional development that helps teachers to know how to provide effective feedback, and;

At Tecumseh Local, our teachers work vigorously to improve their professional learning which, consequently, enhances their students’ academic progress and achievement. Teachers meet every month (and more often) as Teacher Based Teams and Building Leadership Teams to analyze students data and to discuss instructional practices that will improve their teaching and student learning.